WESLEYAN DISTRICT MEETING.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2110, 27 November 1880, Page 3

WESLEYAN DISTRICT MEETING.

The evening session on Thursday was mainly oocupied with the consideration of quarterly meeting recommendations. The Christohuroh (Durham streot) oircuit recommended that the constitution of tho quarterly meeting be so altered as to allow a fair proportion of its members to bo eleoted by members of the church. The Bevs. A.. Beid, W. Boumber, and Mr W. Harris, supported the recommendation. The same quarterly meeting recommended that all limit to the number of years that a minister may be appointed be removed, the yearly appointment to remain with the Conference. Both recommendations were carried. Ashburton circuit recommended that the removal expenses of ministers be paid out of the contingent fund. This was rejected, and the report of the committee appointed by the Conference to consider the contingent fund recommended for adoption by conference. The session closed at 11.30 p.m.

Yesterday the session opened at 9 30 a.m. After devotional exerciaes the record of the previous day was road and adopted. The Bey. J. S. Bishworth called attention to the requirement of last Conference, that the Canterbury district meeting consider the returns of membership from the Timaru Circuit. The Bev. J. H. Simmonds, as minister of the Timaru Circuit, hoped that enquiry would be made. He stated the reason why last year he reduced the number of members to be that of continued non-attendance. The Bev. J. Armitago thought that this requirement of Conference should not be considered apart from the whole question of the basis upon which superintendents make their membership returns. The Chairman pointed out there was no uniform method in the making of returns. The Bev. J. J. Lewis reminded the meeting that in all legal and ecclesiastical courts practice was admitted side by side with written law, and it appeared plain that by the Timaru minister the usual practice had been departed from. The Bev. W. Keall considered it was evident that sufficient reason did not siow itself to the Timaru minister for the return of the omitted members. After further disoussion, it was moved by the Bev. W. H. Beck, seconded by the Bev. W. Worker, and carried—" That the Canterbury district meeting is of opinion that no blame is to be attached to the Timaru superintendent, seeing that the present practice of returning 'members is neither uniform nor satisfactory." A lengthy disoussion ensued on the general question of returning members. The Bev. J. Armitage moved—" That the conference be requested to instruct superintendents of cirouits as to what is to be done in the cose of enrolled members who decHno to meet in class." It wbb well-known that many persons who were returned from year to year did not meet in olass, and on this acoount ministers felt considerable embarrassment in making their returns. He thought they had a right to look to Conference for relief and direction in this matter. The Bev. J. H. Simmonds seconded the motion.

The Rev. A. Reid thought that the principle underlying their present practice might be recognised and embodied in a resolution. It seemed to him that the most desirable thing for them to do was to plaoe before Conference some method whereby our present praotice could be improved, rather than ask Conferonoe to do this for them. With this object in view ho moved as an amendment—" That it be a recommendation that at the conclusion of the quarterly visitation of the classes,|any member who shall without due cause being assigned have failed to attend class during the entire quarter, be visited by the minister, with a view to the removal of any occasion for such absence. - In case of its being found at the subsequent quarterly visitation that no improvement has taken place, the absentee shall not be returned as a member."

The Rev. J. S. Smalley seconded the amendment. He wished it to be distinctly understood that he had no sympathy at all with any attempt to interfere in the least degree with the olass meeting as it at present stood, and it was because he thought the amendment guarded the rule and principle of the present praotioe of superintendents in returning members, that he hoped the motion would not bo carried. If they had a richer baptism of the Holy Ghost, the olass diflioulty would cease. Several ministers having spoken to the amendment, it was put to the meeting, and lort - « The Rev. J. J. Lewis moved, as a further amondment —"That Conference be recommended to direot the superintendents of circuits to recognise as members all those enrolled as such, whose names continue to be approved by the leaders' meeting, but who do not meot in class." While wishful to guard the class meeting and promote its efficiency, ho could not see that those who had been declared to have all the requisite qualifications for membership should be removed from the olass book so long as they retained them, even if they did not attend class. The Rev. W. Baumber seconded the amendment. The Rev. J. Armitage trusted they would not pass Mr Lewis' amendment. It simply aimed at impairing the actual fellowship, whioh had been the distinctive characteristic of the Methodist claßs meeting, and proposed the formation of a new order of members of very little more, if any, than an honorary character. The Revs. A. Roid and W. Keall expressed the same sentiments, and after considerable discussion the amendment was put and lost. further disoussion took plaoe on the original motion, and it was carried. The Rev. W. Keall moved, and the Rev. J. Armitage seoonded, " That a separate and independent Conference for New Zealand is desirable, and the meeting recommends that Conference take steps to seoure the same." The Rev. A. Reid thought the difficulties in the way of separation from the Australian Conference were too formidable, especially those whioh arose from the connexions! funds. Besides, he believed that Australia, usually regarded as oareful in matters of ohurch change, and New Zealand, looked upon as progressive, would be mutually beneficial to each other by their association. The Rev. J. H. Simmonds, while admitting the existence of difficulties in the way of separation,- could not see how they would be lessened by delay. If some freedom in legislative matters were given to New Zealand, there might be no need for an independent Conference. The Rev. J. J. Lewis believed that, sooner or later, an independent Conference for New Zealand would have to be granted, but he thought the time for this had not yet arrived. He had observed throughout the meeting a disposition to make radical changes in their Church system, and it would be no worse for them if the drag were applied to their rapid movements, and all the more beoause of the uncertainty relating to the oonnectional funds. The motion was lost. On the motion of the Rev. W. Keall, seoonded by the Rev. H. Rishworth, Conference was requested to issue a Baptismal re gistry, adapted to this oolony. It was resolved that the sub-building committee for the ereotion of parsonages be re-

quested to revise the present parsonage plans, with a view to the improvement of the game. It was resolved to invite the Conference of 1882 to Ohristchurch. On the motion of the Bev. A. Reid, the meeting, in review of the work of the past year, adopted the following as its record : " The district meeting records its gratitude to Almighty 0-od for the measure of spiritual prosperity vouchsafed to our churches during the past year, and for the praiseworthy efforts made by our congregations in these times of severe financial depression, to maintain in effioienoy our various ohuroh funds. Symptoms of an improved state of feeling in regard to our social means of grace havo begun to manifest themselves in some of our circuits, and the meeting resolves to do all in its power to foster this feeling, and to render its gratification helpful to the promotion of holiness in the hearts and lives of our people. The Sunday School Centenary celebrations of the present year have given an impetus to the religious education of the children of the several churches, which it is hoped will prove permanently beneficial to this most important department of church work, and the members of this meeting are satisfied that that no field of christian effort gives equal promise of rich returns for toil expended with that afforded by labour undertaken and prayerfully persevered in on behalf of the children of our homes and schools. Our trust in God is strong; we renew our self-consecration to Christ, and in dependence on the help of His spirit, address ourselves afresh to our weloome duties as ministers of His gospel." Votes of thanks were accorded to the Christohuroh friends who had kindly entertained the ministers attending the distriot meeting, to the chairman for his able and courteous presidency, to the secretary and assistant seoretary, to the reporters to the daily papers and the " New Zealand Wesleyan, and to the daily papers." At the request of the chairman, the Rev. J. Armitage read from the exhortation to and pledge of ministerial consecration and fidelity, contained in what are known as the " Liverpool Minutes," and prayer was offered by the Revs. J. J. Lewis, W. Baumber, and J. H. Simmonds. The Chairman pronounced the benediction, and the meeting olosed at 6 p.m.